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Triatoma protracta



Triatoma protracta
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hemiptera
Suborder: Heteroptera
Family: Reduviidae
Subfamily: Triatominae
Genus: Triatoma
Species: T. protracta
Binomial name
Triatoma protracta
Uhler, 1894

Triatoma protracta (commonly called Western Conenose, vinchuca, Mexican bedbugs or Kissing Bug) is an assassin bug (family Reduviidae) of the order Hemiptera. A 2 cm, brown-black nocturnal insect found in forests. Common in the southwestern USA.

This particular species lives in association, and feeds almost exclusively on wood rats of the genus Neotoma. While this species carries a nonvirulent strain of Chagas disease that does not manifest symptoms in humans, it is still dangerous, as its bite is extraordinarily painful, and its powerful venom, released during feeding, can cause anaphylactic shock.

 
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Triatoma_protracta". A list of authors is available in Wikipedia.
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